Online Identity Optimization - Greg Page

Greg Page, CEO of Merrimack Analysis Group, shared a wealth of information at the WIN workshop on Online Identity Optimization. He began with a quote from Mark Twain – “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

You do not need any special technical expertise to “eBrand” yourself; existing platforms (like LinkedIn, Twitter, about.me, Scribd, Slideshare, Google Plus, youtube etc.) provide everything you will need.

Greg advised that the following steps are worth taking: 1. Build your foundation, 2. Cleanup negative content, and 3. Create and publicize positive content.

Social networks will ultimately take over the recruiting role. Do not restrict your job search to cyberspace. Greg also stressed that we should be wary of our digital footprint.

MOOCs (Massive, Open, Online Courses) are very useful tools. Udacity, Coursera and EdX are all free and offer courses and certificates in “hot” areas.

Greg exhorted participants to listen to the “Hum of the Job Market.”

Check out the link below for Greg’s website :

http://merrimackanalysisgroup.com/

Networking Meetings on Mondays AND Wednesdays

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since we launched WIN! About 115 people have attended our biweekly meetings and participated in our workshops. Among the speakers who've presented have been authors, hiring managers, college career counselors and a number of professional career coaches. A wide range of topics have been covered, such as Effective Networking Strategies, Leveraging LinkedIn, Building a Job-Search Toolbox and Improv for the Job search. We hope that participants have taken away something from attending these workshops - made new friends, got some practical tips and learned about the resources at the library!

As the response to the biweekly meetings has been so good, we are offering another meeting time come September. Informal meetings will be held on the first and third Monday of the month from 10:30-11:30 AM. There will be a facilitator at these meetings and this will be a networking opportunity for folks between jobs or those in career transitions. So come and join us for our first Monday meeting on September 16th at 10:30 AM! 

The Wednesday meetings continue with a presentation by Greg Page on August 28th. The topic is "Online Identity Optimization for Job Seekers." Greg Page is the CEO and co-founder of Merrimack Analysis Group. His presentation will include the latest about the ways HR Officers are searching for people online, how job candidates can best present themselves, etc. along with information about how to stay safe from identity theft scams that target job seekers. 
To register for this workshop, please click on this link: Workshop Registration

Career Coaching Books

It's almost the end of summer but Forbes.com has a list of summer reading titles focusing on career coaching. 
Check it out. 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2013/06/28/four-career-coaching-books-for-your-summer-reading-list/

Personal Branding, Online Job Hunting & Power Networking - Rachelle Lappinen

Rachelle Lappinen (Life Compass Coach/Workshop Facilitator & Developer) provided valuable advice and information on various resources for job seekers. She emphasized that networking is very important. Some of the highlights of her presentation are listed below.

·        Personal branding through social media is crucial

·        Online job searching is not the most effective way to find jobs, but can be effective to research industries, job growth and target companies

·        In person networking is key to any job search. It should make up 75% of your job search time

References and resources recommended by Rachelle include the following:

Books

Ø Job-Hunting Online by Mark Emery Bolles & Richard Nelson Bolles

Ø The Twitter Job Search Guide by Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan & Deb Dib

Ø Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies by Joshua Waldman

Ø Getting from College to Career by Lindsey Pollack

Ø What Color is your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles

Ø ME 2.0 : 4 Steps to Building your Future by Dan Schawbel

Websites

http://www.onetonline.org/

https://masscis.intocareers.org/

http://www.simplyhired.com/

www.glassdoor.com

http://learn.linkedin.com/jobseeker/